Eben n



(No Model.)

E. N. HIGLEY.

LAST.

Patented Now-8, 1881.

- ITNESSES. INVENTOR,

I A I By .Atto'rney UNITED o STATES PATENT OFFICE.

To all whom'it may concern:

EBEN'N. HIGLEY, on GREAT FALLS, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

LAST.

SPECIFICATION'forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,353, dated November 8, 1881.

- Application filed April 30, 1es1. (No model.) i

Be it known that I, EBEN N. HIGLEY, of Great Falls, in the county of Strafford and State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improved Last and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification- Figure 1 being a side view of the improved last; Fig. 2, a bottom view of the same; Fig. 3, a central longitudinal vertical section of the bottom; Fig. 4, a transverse section of the bottom in a plane indicated by the line was, Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 5, a view of the inner upper side of the iron bottom of the last detached.

. Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

My invention consists in an iron bottom of peculiar construction attached to a wooden last, substantially as hereinafter specified.

A wooden last, A, of ordinary or suitable construction, except as to myimprovement, is employed, and to the sole-thereof, cut away sufticieutly and in. proper shape to receive the same, is attached a cast-iron or malleable-iron bottom, B, covering the whole of the sole, and giving form to the entire lower part of the last, as shown. The construction of this bottom is substantially as shown in the drawings, as now to be described. It has slots at an entirely through it, near its side edges, and nearlyparallel therewith, corresponding in position with the peg-rows; but at the heel and toe the slots are omitted, boots and shoes as now generally made being nailed at the heels and toes; but

when the heels and toes are to be pegged groovesaa,not slots, may be continued round, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. These slots areleft open and unoccupied by any filling material, the same as are the pegging-grooves in the cast-iron last patented by L. W. Shorey, February 3, 1880, No. 224,234, so that the inwardly-projectin g pegs, not being driven into any material, do not interfere with the drawing of the last from the boots or shoes, and

they are undercut, so as not tointerfere with the pegging-awl. Herein is one of the advantages gained by this construction -namely, that the undercut or dovetail form of these slots (as W distinguished from grooves with solid metal bottoms, as in the said patent) does not require the use of cores in the casting, since the pattern is drawn on the inside, which is. perfectly open and free for molding, because of these through slots. Another advantage lies in the greaterlightness of the last over simply grooved bottoms; and the whole last is thus very simply and cheaply made, as well as having'the advantages of an iron last and of open peggiug-grooves. The sockets b c d, to receive tack-plugs, also extend entirely through the bottom, and being of undercut or dovetail form, they also are readily molded and cast without the use of cores, as well as the pegging-slots. The edge rims, ff, outside of the pegging-slots extend upward somewhat above the thickness of the bottom, as'shown best in Figs. 1 and 4. These extensions serve both to add strength to the bottom and to secure the Wooden body accurately thereon, fitted thereon between the same. The body and bottom are united by screws gg or other suitable and equivalent means.

Although I prefer to use cast-iron, other cast metal may be used for the bottom. The last body, also, need not be of wood; but leather board, papier-mach, or other suitable light material may be used.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A last for boots and shoes, composed of l a body, A, of wood or equivalent fibrous material, and a cast-metal bottom, B, constructed with .peggingslots a to extending through its thickness, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. In a last for boots and shoes, the castmetal bottom B, having pegging-slots a, a through the thickness of the same, and upwardly-extended rims or flanges ff outside of the said slots, substantially as and for the double purpose herein specified.

The foregoing specification signed by me this 28th day of April, 1881.

EBEN N. HIGLEY.

Witnesses:

J. S. BROWN, H. W. BALL. 

